Pelosi Slams Bush's SCHIP Veto

Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace and slammed President Bush for vetoing the expansion of the children's healthcare program known as SCHIP. Speaker Pelosi made a critical point about how much the Iraq war is diverting American resources from important domestic priorities, pointing out that the cost of insuring ten million children for one year under SCHIP equaled the cost of funding the Iraq war for forty days.

Watch the video from Fox News below:

Comments

[Balzac]

Yes, Speaker Pelosi is right - time is precious. The longer she leaves Bush in the Oval Office, the more months pass and we miss out on a year's coverage of medical insurance for 10,000,000 children every 40 days spent in Iraq.

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[Balzac]

Tick, tock; drip, drop. Iraqi children are dying in a hellish war. American children are dying for lack of health care.

Meanwhile, The Beast sets his sights on Iran. Don't let it happen, "Democrats", or you will be like the Germans who sat on their hands while Hitler's power grew.

[ChiGuy]

Bears are about to take on the dreaded Packers, so I must bid you all good eve.

Good luck with that whole impeachment thing.
You're gonna need it.

Peace.

[ExRepublican]

What a punk.

Good 'luck' ChiGuy

[ExRepublican]

I'm hoping that whatever team you are pulling for doesn't take your attitude?

If so, game over before it even begins.

Tough guy, Mr. ChiGuy. I like your type as does most of America.

Sheesh. and you wonder why .....

[MaxBob]

I watched the segment and Speaker Patooui pretty much 'misspoke' about the advantages of an expanded SCHIP program. Then she proceeded to avoid the TORTURE MEMO question, not knowing if she was 'briefed' back then without being 'briefed' now. HUH? She was pretty concrete on the war though, continuing to push surrender NOW over LATER. But, she couldn't answer the 'Do Nothing' Congress question repeatedly asked her. All in all, her 'cookie cutter, debutante' smile looked pretty 'cheesy'.

[Destin]

Oh boy, and what is the brave and courageous Madame Pelosi gonna do about it?? Go home and cry?? She's already taken impeachment off the table like the DORK she is. She's powerless to do a damn thing about it, by her own actions.

Only in America!

[ChiGuy]

She didn't take "impeachment off the table".
It was never an option because she needs Republican votes to make it happen, and we all know that the party-before-country Pugs won't stray from their master's side.

[Destin]

So?? Put em on record. Either they support a war criminal, or they are against war criminals. I wanna know where the GOP stands. ;)

[MAX1]

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In other words, Nancy's the lap dog!

Guarding the presidency is not kibbles and bits you know.

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[ExRepublican]

By nature, you go belly up.

Take your b.s. elsewhere while the rest of 'us' fight for what's right.

[larstein]

Bush's veto seems irrational, something the Dems can use against the Gops in '08. But given the truly irrational frustration on this blog with any kind of "reasonable" discourse by Pelosi, et al, I would beg you indulge me in a wildly paranoid theory.

What if the veto was a gift by Bush to the Dems. What if Hillary Clinton's signing on to the bill calling that Iranian CIA equivilent a "terrorist" organization, was a tip-off to Bush that bombing Iran is an acceptable last resort, and that in exchange Bush will ensure her election by doing things like vetoing health care for children, something anyone would rationally assume to be politically idiotic. Bush knows the next president is "Richard Nixon," and he'd rather Clinton get stuck with the mess than the Republicans. Imagine it like a Godfather movie plot. The Clinton Syndicate signals to the Bush Crime Family that they are ok with bombing Iran, and Don W signals through his veto that he is ok with her as President in 2009.

Crazy? Is it all just show biz until after the election next year? Did the fix go in about 2 weeks ago? Can we ever trust any election ever again? Do we still have the audacity to imagine that our votes matter? As if we are not being perpetually brainwashed all the time by the deeds, hopes and lies that die too slowly to do anything but fog the lens of public perception. Will the next 11 or 12 months be scarier than anything we've seen so far? I hope I'm just blowing smoke.

[TimmySlagle]

Pelosi is going to crash and burn on this one.

The poor "Children" in question, are actually 25 year old adults making incomes well above the poverty line.

And the SCHIP expansion in question would have covered illegal aliens. Once the details of this heinous legislation get out, Pelosi's approval rate, is going to be visiting the single digits.

[SouthpawSass]

Oh really? ALL the 5 million children that would potentially benefit and become insured are all 25 year olds earning their own incomes or ilegals... Really.

You know what, that's bull crap.

[Doug]

As I was saying, we shouldn't be adding social programs. We should be getting rid of them.

Taxpayers are now on the hook for a record $59.1 trillion in liabilities, a 2.3% increase from 2006. That amount is equal to $516,348 for every U.S. household. By comparison, U.S. households owe an average of $112,043 for mortgages, car loans, credit cards and all other debt combined.

Unfunded promises made for Medicare, Social Security and federal retirement programs account for 85% of taxpayer liabilities. State and local government retirement plans account for much of the rest.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070529/1a_lede29.art.htm

[SouthpawSass]

Accordingto Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, "Frankly, I think the president has had pretty poor advice on this. I can answer every objection that they've made, and I'm very favorable to the president. I know he's compassionate. I know he's concerned about these kids, but he's been sold a bill of goods."

[Doug]

I don't like the republicans or democrats when it comes to social policies. Moderate democrats and republicans both want rigged corporate control, disguised as a free market. It's not much better than socialism.

[DrenchedOtter]

I won't quarrel with your numbers, but I agree with your basic point. Nearly all of the unfunded liability is Medicare, I believe.

I wonder, what would you do about Medicare? Abolish it? Raise taxes to pay for it? Continue the current approach of reducing Medicare payments to providers, which results in "cost shifting" that raises the cost of private insurance? Or expand it, as some Democrats are proposing?

For what it's worth, I favor expanding Medicare by lowering the age of eligibility to 45, abolishing the Medicare payroll tax, and funding Medicare through income taxes, so that everyone pays a share.

[Doug]

I'd say phase medicare and social security out completely.

[5yrsoftorturencounting]

funny how the repug minority are doing such a good job of keeping the dem majority from doing anything, and for six years our fearless dem minority couldnt stop a single f-ing thing.

[MAX1]

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Makes one have to ask:

"How good are the Dem's, in the majority, at leading when the Republican's, in the minority, are the measure of success?"

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[drumz]

You call this cluster fuck success? You are a fool.
It's very simple, simpleton. When the repukes had a majority it was a true majority (veto proof) the dems only have a numbers majority but not enough to make it veto proof.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

HUH? Is the Iraqupation cheap, or is child health care that expensive?

I've got $5B per year for SCHIP, per this article:
http://www.cbpp.org/6-5-06health.htm

And
$458B in DIRECT costs alone for Iraq Nam.
Over 5 years, that's roughly $100B per year.
http://www.cbpp.org/6-5-06health.htm

As a ratio, the above factoids result in 18 days, not 40.

[godlessclif]

The drug bill is not for the people. Bush drug bill is corporate welfare and so is Hillary care.
We need a third party so the people can tell the difference between real democrats and corporate shills like Hillary and Nancy Pelosi

[lennilenape]

Hey godlessclif:

Finally. Someone with whom I can agree. A couple of posts back someone said "...republicans are the measure of success."

The republicans should be nothing to the world anymore after these 6 years of displaying who they really are. Just think. They felt like this about America all their many years as the RNC while working themselves into a position where they could really come out of the closet -- and they have -- and the world doesn't like what they see.

[LightningJoe]

Someone observed a while back on some forum, that the only simple explanation for so many lawmakers caving in to Bush is blackmail. I'm afraid that this makes a sick kind of sense, to me.

McCain caved in on torture, his signature issue at the time, immediately after a visit to the Commander in Chief. He hasn't uttered a peep since. Pelosi caved in preemptively on the issue of impeachment, after a meeting with the same suspect. Neither of these meetings were taped for the public, as they really ought to have been, so we don't really know what changed their minds.

But blackmail would fit the bill better than some other explanations. The administration is rife with corruption, so such a strategy would probably make a lot of sense to them. Threatening is like breathing, for King George. His plan to remake America into a slave nation must take a lot of His attention, and anything that cuts the opposition off at the knees would be an attractive option.

No one can rise to high office without some kind of bones rattling in the walls. And what good is being rich, if you can't use it to dig up the dirt on your enemies?

Does anyone here think that George Bush II is either too stupid or too moral to wish He had an angle on the opposition? Or too scrupulous to use it, if He had one?

[SaskiaStars]

You know - my brother has been saying this for a long time and I am beginning to agree with him. Think about it, with all the wire tapping and spying on Americans, it is not such a stretch to think that the Rovebots gathered intel on EVERYONE including those on their own party as well as on the opposite party.

[RedRooster]

I happen to think that politicians (from both parties) are attempting to play a game of "good cop-bad cop".

They mistakenly think they can cave in to the president and simultaneously make him the "bad cop", all the while making some lame excuse for their own lack of courage and/or conviction.

Sure it seems like a good idea - make a universally despised and loathed president take the wrap for all the bad legislation they've passed, but I really don't the American people are buying it...and THAT is why the Congressional approval ratings are so low.

It's not just the Democrats...It's the whole lot of them!

[doneflyin]

I agree with you Joe. This administration is full of thugs who worked long and hard to get to this point and they sure as hell didn't get there by fighting fair.
Blackmail was a great tactic widely used by that other Texas thug, Lyndon Johnson.

Johnson would have the Congress person's "file" on his desk and would tap it with his hand all the while he was telling his victim what he wanted from him/her.

Lawrence O'Donnell hinted at this several months ago on the McLaughin Report when he said there would be no impeachment because there was not one person in this Congress who was clean.

Not one.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

The scariest thing is that I no longer automatically dismiss theories like yours, LightningJoe.

[Ginzaman]

Better yet. Having universal health care would stop this f****d up political posturing! But does the power elite (Pelosi and Reid included) give a s**t about the rest of us? Hell no. They can have their $135,000 an year salary, universal health care, coporate jet travel, speaking engagements, defense industry investments and more. But as for the rest of us? Piss off. That's your problem. Now that's TRUE representation.

[tkk]

$135,000 salary? Surely you jest. Every one of these people is worth millions. If they had any integrity at all, they would renounce their government salaries.

Pelosi's husband is a big time businessman in San Francisco and I read that they also have vineyards in the Napa Valley.

[poopdeck]

Nancy, when you craft the SCHIP law for a veto override add the following language: NO SIGNING STATEMENTS ALLOWED. I think you know what I mean.

[PACRAT]

O'M'GAWD! WHO WOKE UP PELOSI?

Has Pelosi finally read her poll ratings? We finally have an issue that could be bipartisan and has Bush gasping for belief that his loyals republicans are turning against him! It may not be too late for Pelosi after all!

Love the comparison between the cost of providing health care for kids and the monthly cost of one month of the war!

Keep on making the comparisons - even though we know that the war is even more costly than reported since there are so many multipliers - fraud, misuse of funds, impact on military, lack of military leadership, impact on families, impact on America!

[ChiGuy]

These are the kinds of small moral PR victories Pelosi MUST win to keep Democrats credible across the board.

She's EXTREMELY well-spoken (doesn't get flustered and doesn't repeat the same phrases over and over). She's doing a great job of getting her message across in the media and making Bush and the Repbs in congress look worse each time.

[JohnKemp]

Oh yeah.

She looked great when she went to Syria & put a turban on her head for shopping.

Really related to the average American when her first request was for a huge jet for personal travel.

EXTREMELY well spoken when she did absolutely nothing about William "The Freezer" Jefferson's stealing of tens of thousands of dollars.

NIce touch when she awarded federal tax dollars to San Francisco for it to improve its waterfront for the benefit of her husband's commercial properties.

Pelosi is the perfect example of the Dems' biggest problem.

They work well "in the dark" like a cockroach; when the "light shines on them," they don't do too well.

[JohnKemp]

By the way, you do know that Murtha is being sued for slandering US soldiers.

Now I fully realize that Murtha's mental state prevents him from being responsible for his own actions, but it does seem to me that the Speaker of the House would hold hearings into Murtha's criminal actions.

When can we expect the "EXTREMELY well-spoken" Pelosi who does such a "great job" to instigate such a hearing?

[lennilenape]

PACRAT:

Don't forget the costs to put the military back together, and if and when the war is over, continued veteran care and so on - so many, many more (hidden costs) costs that it probably works out to 20 days by comparison.

[bija]

It would be a much better investment to insure children for health care than throw that money away in Iraq. Children are an investment in our future. Iraq is a total disaster. The only ones profiting from money going to Iraq are the contractors and eventually the private oil companies.

[JohnKemp]

Seems to me that Soros could fund SCHIP by himself if he would do so rather than spending his millions to spread lies & bulls--t.

Just a thought.

[viflyer]

So what is your bizarre obsession with George Soros?

Get a life!

[tkk]

You mean like Richard Mellon Scaife is spreading neoCon lies?

[ChiGuy]

For crap’s sake, once and for all, will you all please stop bitching about Pelosi’s lack of action on impeachment???

It can’t happen in the current climate in Congress. It simply cannot.

I get how angry people are with this sinister administration. I’m every bit as furious as any one of you about what these bastards have done, and continue to do to our great country and the world.
I don’t even think stoning would be cruel and unusual punishment in their case.

But impeachment is off the table for one very obvious reason; Votes. Period.

Pelosi can pursue impeachment from now until the end of Bush’s term, but it can’t happen simply because she wants it to, or says it must. A simple Democratic majority in Congress can’t do it. She needs a considerable amount of Republican support for such an undertaking, and you as well as I know that even those moderate Republicans speaking out about the war will NEVER side with impeaching the leader of their party. Ever.
If ever there were a true definition of “party before country”, it is the current Republicans.

If you want impeachment, do as I and others I know have done and start the pressure by writing and contacting those moderate Republicans in the House and Senate who will most likely swing their votes. Convince them of the urgent need to bring these murderers to justice.

That is the ONLY way that impeachment can or will ever happen.

[godlessclif]

Why does Pelosi support war with Myanmar?

We need a peacetime Consiglieri.
Kucinich for speaker.

[ChiGuy]

Gee. You make it sound soooo simple.
Your incendiary statement is almost as good as Karl Rove's work.

Do you think Little Dennis could actually MAKE congressional Dems do things Pelosi can't?

That's pretty naive.

[SaskiaStars]

ChiGuy - Finally, someone with a brain in their head.

[ChiGuy]

Likewise on your posts, SS.

[MAX1]

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With your logic, I suppose the election is called off too. For the very same reason... NO VOTES!

BULL SHIT!

IMPEACHMENT CAN HAPPEN...

You just have to demand it.

Are you demanding it?

If YES! - Be seen in the streets, in your Representatives offices, in your towns LTE.

If NO! then keep up the grandstanding, "Impeachment can't happen."

Self fulfilling prophecies are for both winners AND loosers.

"The votes aren't there..." because there is nothing to vote on stupid. Nothing has been presented to the House for Impeachment, and the Senate comes AFTER that.

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